Article Surfing Archive

EACH WAY BET

The practice of staking equal amounts for a place and for a win is known as making an 'Each Way Bet'.

Bookmakers used to be reluctant to take each way bets from everyday punters except in the big events like the Grand National and the Derby, however this is not the case nowadays, with most bookies taking each way bets and advertising the fact on their boards with the odds on offer.

Credit bookmakers, on and off course bookmakers, betting shops, Betfair and the other exchanges, all now take each way bets.

EBF

The European Breeders Fund originated in June 1983. Breeders in France, GB, and Ireland signed an agreement to start a fund for stallion owners to contribute annually a sum equal to the median covering fee for all sires nominated to the scheme.

Only the offspring of participating stallions being allowed to benefit.

In relation to the British side of the scheme, proceeds are channeled into prize money, breeder's prize money for horses sired by British stallions, veterinary research, and owner's premiums for selected listed and patented flat races.

ENTIRE

An 'entire' horse is in the lucky situation of having not been castrated, or 'gelded'.

ENTRIES

Five days before a race, most entries are made to Weatherbys.

Weights for these races are allocated the day after, based on the published race conditions. If the race is a handicap then weights are allocated by the official handicapper.

At any time up to the day before the race, entries may be withdrawn, or 'scratched', at which time the horse must be declared to run, if the intention is to compete. The next stage is known as the overnight declaration stage whereby trainers have to telex or fax Weatherbys with odecs (overnight declarations)

Acceptors

Sometimes one can see the title 'big race acceptors' in newspapers. Below this will be a list detailing the remaining horses in a race, after the forfeit stage.

FAVOURITE

Where a horse is allocated the shortest price in the betting it is known as the 'favourite'. Two horses having equally short prices are known as joint favourites. More than two horses with equally short prices are known as co-favourites.

Of significant interest to Betfair punters, favourites account for the largest single number of different betting methodologies. For more information please visit:

http://www.Betfair-Trade.com/articles

FIELD

Multiple meanings:

1. The main use of this term relates to the number of runners for a race. For example 'The field for the Derby this year is the smallest since Nijinsky beat ten opponents in 1970', does NOT mean that a particularly cramped alternative to the Epsom racecourse has been found.

2. From a punters perspective, it means the shortest priced horse in the field, for example when the bookie shouts 'six to four the field', he is basically saying the favourite is at 6/4!!

3. A bookmaker's record of bets taken on the course is known as a 'field' book. This used to be just a large clipboard with specially ruled paper, but is just as likely to be a handheld electronic device or a laptop nowadays. The field book records bets taken, what prices are laid and to whom. The total liability is calculated, known as the 'take out'. Most of this calculation is now eased for the bookmaker's clerk with the introduction of computerization and laptops.

4. The total amount of money staked on a race, from which a bookmaker will take his profit or loss is known as 'field' money.

5. The common Betfair and general betting exchange practice of 'laying' a favourite, was historically known as 'fielding' against the favourite, i.e. with the expectation of the favourite NOT winning.

FILLY

Between the ages of two and four a female thoroughbred is known as a 'Filly'.

Race goers have always had a fond affection for good fillies and mares. A filly becomes a mare officially at the age of five.

FORM

The sum total of a horse's achievement on the racecourse, is known as its 'form', and is recorded as such in the 'formbook'. This information is then extracted for use in the sporting press, and compressed for other presentations in newspapers.

If a horse has no winning chance in a future race it is said to have 'no chance on the book'.

To form a suitable analogy, music is simply a series of notes on a page, and similar fashion the formbook provides mere facts about a horse for analysis.

One can see that the interpretation of a piece of music from the same sequence of notes can create a completely different experience for each musician.

The phrase 'The Coventry Stakes form is working out rather well' relates to the particular race in question, meaning that horses running in this race are doing so consistently with the form advertised in the formbook, and the favourite may have gone on to win.

It would be said that the horses have 'advertised the Coventry Stakes form' or conversely 'Let the Coventry Stakes form down'.

FRONT RUNNER

Some horses like to go straight out in front and stay there, 'cutting out the running'.

Preference for this style of running will be advertised in Timeform, the Racing Post, and the formbook.

Sometimes horses that take the lead early tend to idle later in the race, and these horses may require 'covering up' until the last minute, when they can be pushed to the front. Timeform and the Racing Post are, again, your best bets for this type of information.

Chester and Sandown are well known tracks where front running pays dividends. Desert Orchid, and Reference Point, (the 1987 Derby and St Leger's winner) were both classic front runners.

FULL BROTHER, FULL SISTER

A horse sharing the same dam and also the same sire with another, is known as a 'full brother' or 'full sister'. Ability on the racecourse is rarely guaranteed between direct siblings.

Horses sharing the same dam are referred to as 'half brother' and 'half sister', but this is not so for horses that share the same sire but not the same dam.